PHILLIES NOTES: Young popular in clubhouse, not with Eagles fans

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Michael Young thought the scrutiny concerning his defensive ability at third base, or the precipitous drop his hitting took last season would be the toughest question he’d have to answer in Philly.

Instead, it came from a thin-lipped TSA agent checking his ID at Philadelphia International Airport as he returned to his home in Dallas after coming to town for a physical and press conference after the Phillies acquired him from the Rangers in December.

“She saw that my driver’s license said ‘Dallas,’ and she looks at me,” said Young, who arrived at Bright House Field Friday for his first day of workouts with his new employer. “I thought she was going to call the cops on me or something. I’m like checking my pockets to make sure I don’t have a knife on me or anything.

“She asked if I was a Cowboys fan and I said, ‘yeah.’ She was pissed. She was not happy with that answer at all. I just basically bolted. I sat right there right next to the gate and just prayed that my flight would be on time so I could get the hell out of there.”

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To be fair, Young spent 13 years in Dallas. He tried to do his best to smooth over any sour reactions by giving Chip Kelly a tip of the cap, noting that he was a Southern Cal fan who saw Kelly’s Ducks give the Trojans problems over the years.

As for baseball — you know, the reason he’s here — Young seemed to enjoy his new surroundings.

“I don’t expect it to be difficult at all,” he said. “The fact that I came to the Phillies makes it easier, actually. It would be one thing if I went to a team that I knew would have a tough time to win, or if it was a situation where I wasn’t familiar with the surroundings. But this isn’t entirely different. I know a lot of the guys here. I knew the second I got to spring training I’d be able to hit the ground running.

“There’s a lot of guys here who are wired the same way.”

On of the players Young has known for a while is Chase Utley, who played with Young in the middle infield for the United States in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006.

“He’s a professional,” Utley said. “He’s a true gamer. I was really happy when we were able to get him. Obviously, he’s not only a great baseball player, but a good guy.”

Even when his welcome to town includes a lot of grief about his NFL allegiance.

* * *

The other Young was in the house, too.

Delmon Young arrived at Bright House Field for the first time Friday, and the enigmatic outfielder did little to convince anyone that this curious, incentive-laden experience will get any less weird in the coming weeks.

Young, who has $600,000 in weight clauses attached to a contract that has a $750,000 base salary and can get as large as $6 million if he hits all the incentives, offered few clues as to when, exactly, he will be able to begin full baseball workouts. The 27-year-old had microfracture surgery on his ankle to repair damage that dogged him in 2012, when he hit .267 with 18 home runs and 74 RBI for the Tigers last season — rather brutal production numbers for a guy who regularly batted fifth in the order. According to the Phillies, he isn’t expected to be ready in time for the start of the regular season.

“The ankle is feeling good, but I’m not a doctor,” Young said. “So when the doctor tells me when everything will be ready, I’ll be out there. I’m not going to put any date on it. I’ll be out there at that time when it’s fully healed, I build up baseball stamina and I can be out there for nine innings.

“It really doesn’t matter. I’ve seen (Twins catcher) Joe Mauer miss a whole spring training and a month of the season and win MVP and go to the playoffs. As long as you’re healthy when you come back, you just go out and play well.”

The weight clause in Young’s contract releases $100,000 each time he makes weight during six in-season weigh-ins. The first three times he must weigh 230 pounds or less; the last three times the threshold is 235.

Each player is given a general physical when he checks in. Although it wasn’t for one of his bonuses, Young got weighed. Apparently he didn’t look at the number.

“I don’t really go on the scale that much,” he said. “I just see what clothes fit and see when I can go on the beach.”